CRITICS claim betting is particularly high in poorer areas with high levels of unemployment, as figures revealed the largest amount gambled last year was in Glasgow Central.

SCOTS gamblers spend the equivalent of £1000 for every man and woman in the country on high stakes slot machines.

New research reveals that punters north of the border splash out far more per head than the English and Welsh on the fixed odds betting terminals in bookies’ shops.

Yesterday, campaigners and politicians voiced concerns about the machines which have been branded “crack cocaine” for gamblers.

They allow punters to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds on computer-generated versions of casino games such as roulette, poker and blackjack.

Figures show Scots staked £4.2billion on the touchscreen machines last year – £993 for every adult in the country.

That equates to £802 per head of population overall, compared to £644 in England and £511 in Wales.

The shock figures were produced by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling using betting industry data.

Report author Adrian Parkinson, who worked as a regional machine manager at Tote until 2008, said: “I was responsible for testing the machines between 1998 and 2001, then launching them on the high street.

“By 2003, I saw the problems coming through, with feedback from shop managers that punters were getting addicted to these machines.

“In 2008, I was asked to formulate quite an aggressive marketing policy promoting FOBTs, but I refused.

“It wasn’t socially responsible to entice people to play games where there was a possibility they might become addicted.

“I don’t dispute that for some people they are fun and enjoyable, but they represent high risk, particularly in areas of deprivation where people are gambling with money they can’t afford to lose.”

Gamblers Anonymous Scotland said: “This is a major issue. Most of the people who are coming to us now have a problem with roulette machines.

“People become hooked, it’s almost like they get an instant fix. Some people with debts see them as a solution – but they only make things worse.”

There are more than 4000 FOBTs in bookmakers’ shops in Scotland.

Campaigners claim spending is particularly high in poorer areas with high levels of unemployment.

Their figures, broken down into parliamentary constituencies, show the biggest amount gambled was in Glasgow Central, where £243million was staked last year.

In Glasgow North East – which includes Sighthill, Possilpark, Milton and Springburn – more than £137million was fed into the machines.

Glasgow North East MP Willie Bain said: “There are 36 bookmakers with 131 fixed odds betting terminals, raking in £4.2million in an area where the average wage is under £17,600 a year.

“I am concerned about the number of these machines and the frequency with which people play them, going through stacks of money in a very short time.

“Labour is calling on the government for a review.

“At a time when living standards are under unprecedented threat, companies are preying on some of the poorest constituencies in the country.”

A spokesman for the Salvation Army, long-term opponents of gambling, said: “With fixed odds betting terminals, you keep feeding money in and lose track of what you are spending.

“People are losing thousands of pounds a day and there is no way that anyone can afford to lose that amount of money.

“It is not ‘entertaining’ or ‘fun’ if you have lost money that you needed for your rent, heating and food.”

Garry F McHarg/FOCAL Scotland

Gambling addicts say machines take over their lives

FOBTs were introduced in Britain in 2001. Last year, Harriet Harman said that Labour had made a mistake by allowing them when in government and admitted that they were “ruining the high street and people’s lives”.

But bookies argue that the £4.2billion figure includes money won on the machines then fed back in again.

Kate Miller, of William Hill, said: “The numbers being bandied around are turnover and 97 per cent is returned to the customer. That is a clear distinction that needs to be made.”

The bookies’ figures suggest that, after paying out winners, each machine makes them around £900 a week.

Ciaran O’Brien, of Ladbrokes, said: “The average spend on a machine session is less than £7. The stakes figure is very misleading.

“With a very low margin FOBTs are a popular and fun product, generating a lot of tax and protecting employment.”

An Association of British Bookmakers spokesman agreed that the figures were “misleading”

He added: “We have always believed that customers have the right to decide how they spend their money.

“We take our social responsibilities extremely seriously which is why we voluntarily contribute £5million each year for the research, education and treatment of problem gamblers.”